Wall and floor covering sample display device



June 16, 1959 c, w, GRAC|ER I 2,890,531.

I WALL AND FLOOR COVERING SAMPLE DISPLAY DEVICE Filed April 19, 1956 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 hi. 4 INVENTOR.

CHARLES W. GRAC ER ATTORNEY WALL AND FLOOR COVERING SAMPLE DISPLAY DEVICE Filed April 19, 1956 C. W. GRACIER June 16, 1959 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 mmp m m T m 5 Z a W .M WWW, :JAQ M? Z I Q 4 MT Tia H WW 1 p w 1 a l 8 United States Patent WALL AND FLOQR'COVERING SAMPLE DISPLAY DEVICE Charles W. Gracier, Denver, Colo.

Application April 19, 1956, Serial No. 579,244

6 Claims. (Cl. 3553) This invention relates to display devices and more particularly to a display device which is used to carry and display a variety of floor and wall coverings in relation to one another and to selected rooms and furnishings.

The average home owner experiences a great deal of difiiculty in selecting harmonizing floor and wall coverings which will be attractive when used together because of the problems attendant to visualizing these wall and floor coverings in their relation to the furniture, appliances or fixtures normally found in the room in which the coverings are to be used. In general, the home owner is required to select the wall and floor coverings from a great number of small samples or color charts which are extremely difficult to visualize in their relation to the room setting. Many times a small sample appears very attractive when viewed by itself, but an entire wall or floor of a room covered with the material of the sample quite often appears too dark in color or the patterns are much too outstanding.

Another difficulty in choosing floor and wall coverings is that selections are frequently made from printed plates or the like which do not give a true representation of the colors in the actual article. Also, the colors and designs of linoleum, ceramic tile, asphalt tile and rubber tile vary considerably from lot to lot and it is, therefore, best to select these materials from samples of the actual covering that will be used.

As a result of the foregoing problems in selecting harmonizing wall and floor coverings, dealers in these items are frequently faced with dissatisfied customers who find that the selected patterns, colors and types of wall and floor coverings do not give the expected results when actually installed .in the home. Thus, dealers, salesmen and decorators have need of a display device which will provide the home owner with a true representation of the wall and floor coverings in relation to the room furnishings as they will actually appear when installed.

It is therefore the principal object of the present :invention to provide an improved display device which can be used to produce in perspective the actual appearance of a given room with its furnishings in .the proper relation to selected harmonizing combinations of floor and wall coverings.

A second object is to provide an improved display device which contains means for exhibiting small samples of the actual coverings in relation to the furnishings of a room, thus eliminating the need for making the selections from colored plates or the like which often misrepresent the real article.

Another object of the invention is to provide a display device including an easel construction by which selected combinations of floor and wall coverings may be rapidly interchanged in relation to a given room setting.

"Further objects of the invention are to provide a display device of the type described which is decorative and compact, one which contains a variety of samples showing diiferent colors and styles of floor and wall coverings and one which can be used to exhibit these floor and wall coverings in relation to a variety of different room arrangements and furnishings.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will become apparent upon considering the following detailed description in conjunction with the drawings wherein like numerals represent similar parts throughout and wherein a typical embodiment of the invention is illustrated, and in which:

Figure l is a perspective view of the carrying case of the display device of the present invention showing it in open position with the easel mounted therein in position to exhibit the various wall and floor coverings in relation to a selected room setting;

Figure 2 is a section taken along line 2-2 of Figure 1.;

Figure 3 is a transverse section taken through'the carrying case in closed position showing the manner in which the easel is fitted therein;

Figure 4 is an enlarged fragmentary detail showing the mounting slots for the easel;

Figure 5 is a front elevation of the easel showing the manner in which the how and wall covering samples may be inserted in overlying relation beneaththe partially transparent room furnishing display sheet;

Figure 6 is a view similar to Figure 5 showing the floor and wall covering samples inassembled relation to the room furnishing display sheet; and

Figure 7 is a side elevation showing the sheets 0f wall and floor covering samples and the sheet having the room pictured .thereon'mounted on the easel as seen in the direction of arrow 7, Figure 5.

Referring now in particular to Figures 1 through 4 of the drawing, it will be seen that the display device of the present invention includes a .carrying case indicated. in a general way by numeral 10 and an easel 14. The rectangular box-like body 12 of the carrying case is divided into two sections 16 and 18 which are hingedly connected together by hinge 20. Section 16 of the body contains spaced parallel top and bottom walls 22 and 24, respectively, and right and left side walls 26 and 28, respectively, as viewed in Figure 1. Wall portions of section 18 of the body have been indicated by the designators 22a, 24a, 26a and 28a when viewed with the carrying case in closed position as seen in Figure 3.

The Wall portions of section 18 of the body are slightly narrower than the corresponding wall portions of section- 16 by an amount approximately equal .to the :thickness of easel 14 in order that said easel may be carried therebetween when the case is closed, as clearly shown in Figure 3. Also, sidewalls 26a and 28a of section 18 of the body are provided with opposed and inclined mounting slots 30, shown most clearly in :Figures 2 and 4, which receive and maintain the easel 14 in the rearwardly inclined but upright position shown in Figures 1 and 2. Side walls 26 and 26a of the body carry elements 32-and 34 of a hasp 36 which secures the case in closed position.

Easel 14, shown most clearly in Figures 1 and 2, .is substantially rectangular in shape and preferably sized slightly smaller than the rectangular area oi the entire display case in closed position, but slightly larger than the rectangular area enclosed by the side walls and top and bottom walls of the body sections. The right side edge 38 of the easel is provided with a notch 40 and left side edge 42 thereof is provided with a notch 44. Notch 49 is positioned slightly higher than notch 44 when the easel is in upright position for reasons which will be explained in greater detail hereinafter. Also, in the ,particular construction shown, the lower right and left hand corners of the easel are provided With notches 46 and '48,. respectively, which limit the degree of insertion of the easel into the mounting slots 30.

The easel 14 is also provided with guides 50 and 52 Patented June 16, 1959- attached to the front face and extending along the top and bottom edges thereof in spaced parallel relation. The guides are provided with a set of opposed outer grooves 54 arranged in spaced parallelrelation to the surface of the easel and extending from end to end of said guides. The guides also contain a set of opposed inner grooves 56 positioned between the outer set of grooves and the face of the easel. In the particular construction shown, outer grooves 54 are formed between the central webs 58 of the guides and outer webs 60 thereof. Inner grooves 56 are formed between the central webs 58 and the face of the easel. The set of inner grooves are not essential if the easel is mounted in the rearwardly inclined position shown. The opposite ends of outer webs 60 of the guides are preferably notched as shown at 62 to communicate with the outer grooves 54 thereof and permit easy removal of the third sheet 64 which will be described in detail in connection with Figures 5 through 7 of the drawing.

In connection with Figures 1 and 3, it will be seen that the length of the guides is slightly less than the lateral spacing between the side walls 26a and 28a of body section 18, which permits the easel to be laid face down in said section as shown in Figure 3. Straps 66 and 68 are attached to opposite side walls of section 18 by suitable fasteners 70 and are arranged with respect to the notches 40 and 44 of the easel to extend therethrough and be fastened by a snap fastener 72 in overlying relation to the easel when positioned face down within section 18 of the body. The space beneath the easel in section 18 of the body and the entire space enclosed by the side walls and top and bottom walls of section 16 thereof are, of course, available for carrying the sheets that are mounted on the easel and which will be described in detail hereinafter.

With particular reference now to Figures 5 through 7 of the drawing wherein is illustrated the easel and the means by which different harmonizing floor and wall covering samples are displayed in relation to a selected room setting, I will proceed with the description of the most important feature of the display device of the present invention. Reference has already been made, in a general way, to third sheet 64 which consists merely of a sheet of relatively rigid transparent material sized to be retained within outer grooves 54 of the guides on the easel. The central portion 78 of third sheet 64 is rendered opaque by the addition of a pictorial representation of a corner of a room including the customary furnishings as it would appear in perspective. This pictorial representation may be appliedto the surface of the transparent sheet 64 in any suitable manner so long as it renders the central portion thereof opaque. The opaque portion may either be done in black and white or in colors, although the black and white representation has been found to blend well with many different floor and wall covering combinations. The particular third sheet illustrated represents the corner of a bath room including a tub, wash basin, medicine cabinet and wall tile area. This, however, is only one of several third sheets included in the display device of the present invention, the remaining third sheets (not shown) representing perspective views of corners of other rooms in the home with suitable furnishings, appliances and the like pictorially illustrated thereon. The opaque central portion 78 is bordered along its top edge by a transparent portion 80 and along its bottom edge by a transparent portion 80'. The particular third sheet shown in the drawing would be used in selecting the floor and wall coverings for a bath room. Other third sheets would, of course, be used in choosing floor and wall coverings for a kitchen, living room, bed rooms and other rooms in the home.

Specifically in connection with Figure 7 it is to be noted that outer grooves 54 of the easel guides maintain the third sheet 64 in spaced parallel relation to the face of the easel. Following selection and placement of the transparent third sheet 64 within the outer grooves 54 of the easel guides, a first sheet 76, having a wall covering sample thereon is selected. The first sheet 76 is substantially the same size and shape as the third sheet 64 and is retained within inner grooves 56 of the easel guides as shown most clearly in Figure 7. Different samples showing many types, styles and colorings of wall surfaces are imprinted or otherwise afiixed to the outer surface of first sheet 76. The particular first sheet illustrated has been cross hatched to indicate a green wall covering. The first sheet 76 is slipped into the inner grooves 56 of the easel guides beneath the third sheet 64, as shown in Figures 5 and 6, whereupon the green surface thereof will be visible through the upper transparent portion of the third sheet in correct relation to the opaque pictorial representation of the furnishings in the particular room pictured thereon. Thereafter a second sheet 74 having a floor covering sample thereon is slipped into groove 56 of the lower guide on the easel in overlying relation to the first sheet 76 but underneath third sheet 64. The floor covering samples provided by second sheets 74 also include a wide variety of colors, types and styles. The width of the second sheet is substantially the same as that of the first and third sheets. However, the height thereof is such that the upper portion of margin 82 will lie behind and be completely covered by the opaque portion 78 of the third sheet 64 when positioned as shown in Figure 6. The second sheet will, of course, be visible through the lower transparent portion 80 of third sheet 64 and show the floor covering in correct relation to the room furnishings and the wall covering indicated on first sheet 76. The particular second sheet illustrated has been cross hatched to indicate a brown fioor covering. It will be immediately apparent from Figure 6 that the complete finished appearance of a bath room will be accurately represented by the display device of the present invention and the home owner can readily choose wall and floor coverings which harmonize with one another and the room furnishings to give the effect desired.

As will be seen in Figure 6, notch 40 in the right side edge of the easel is positioned above the upper margin 82 of the second sheet. Thus, removal of the first sheet 76 may be accomplished by placing the fingers within notch 40 and removing it from the right side of the easel without having to separate the first and second sheets. Notch 44, on the other hand, which is positioned in the left side edge of the easel, underlies both the first and second sheets. After the first sheet has been removed, the second sheet may be grasped within notch 44 and removed from the left side of the easel. The preferred manner and direction of removal of the first and second sheets is clearly illustrated in Figure 5. The first sheet is shown partly extended to the right of the easel and the second sheet is shown partly extended to the left of the easel. It is important to note that both the first and second sheets may be selectively interchanged without disturbing the position of the third sheet which is held spaced therefrom by the outer grooves of the guides. Thus many different types, styles and combinations of floor and wall coverings may be tried in a given room setting in order to arrive at the ones which appear most attractive.

The first, second and third sheets are all sized to fit into the carrying case Where they may be conveniently carried and made readily available to the user. The several sheets have not been illustrated in Figures 1 through 4, inclusive, in order that the carrying case and easel might be more clearly shown and described.

The foregoing disclosure and description of the invention is illustrative and explanatory thereof and various changes in the size, shape and materials, as well as in the details of the illustrated construction, may be made within the scope of the appended claims without departing from the spirit of the invention.

What is claimed is:

1. In a display device, an easel mounted in rearwardly inclined relation on a supporting surface, the upper surface of said easel having spaced parallel guide members attached thereto extending along the top and bottom edges thereof, said guide members carrying means arranged in opposed relation adapted to maintain and support a sheet or the like mounted therebetween in spaced parallel relation to the upper surface of said easel, a first sheet having the surface thereof provided with a sample of a wall covering, said first sheet being laid upon the upper surface of the easel with the lower edge thereof resting on the lower guide member, a second sheet having the surface thereof provided with a sample of a floor covering, said second sheet being laid upon the lower surface of said first sheet with the lower edge thereof resting on the lower guide member, said second sheet being sized to cover only the lower portion of the first sheet, and a third sheet mounted between the guide members and carried by said supporting means in spaced parallel relation to the upper surface of the easel and to the first and second sheets, said third sheet having a transparent upper portion exposing the first sheet to view therethrough, a transparent lower portion exposing the second sheet to view therethrough, and an opaque central portion arranged to cover the upper margin of the second sheet, said opaque central portion containing a pictorial representation of a room including certain furnishings customarily found therein, the lower transparent portion representing the location of the floor in relation thereto and the upper transparent portion representing the location of the walls, the first and second sheets providing means for visualizing the wall and floor coverings represented by the samples in relation to one another and in relation to the rooms and its furnishings, and the spaced position of the third sheet in relation to the first and second sheets providing means for accomplishing a selective interchange among a plurality of first sheets containing diiferent wall covering samples and/ or a plurality of second sheets containing different floor covering samples without disturbing the position of the third sheet.

2. A device in accordance with claim 1 in which the means for maintaining and supporting the third sheet in spaced parallel relation to the first and second sheets comprises a pair of opposed grooves, one of which extends from end to endof each guide member in spaced parallel relation to the upper surface of the easel.

3. In a display device, an easel having spaced parallel guides extending along the top and bottom edges thereof, said guides having opposed inner grooves extending the length thereof and opposed outer grooves extending the length thereof in spaced parallel relation to said inner grooves, a first sheet having the surface thereof provided with a sample of a wall covering, said first sheet being removably mounted on the easel Within the inner grooves of the guides, a second sheet having the surface thereof provided with a sample of a floor covering, said second sheet being removably mounted within the inner groove of the lower easel guide in overlying relation to the first sheet, said second sheet being sized to cover only the lower portion of said first sheet, and a third sheet removably mounted in the outer grooves of the easel guides in overlying spaced relation to the first and second sheets, said third sheet having a transparent upper portion exposing the first sheet to view therethrough, a transparent lower portion exposing the second sheet to view therethrough, and an opaque central portion arranged to cover the upper margin of the second sheet, said opaque central portion containing a pictorial representation of a room including certain furnishings customarily found therein, the lower transparent portion representing the location of the floor in relation thereto and the upper transparent portion representing the location of the walls, the first and second sheets providing means for visualizing the wall and floor coverings represented by the samples in relation to one another and in relation to the room and its furnishings, and the spaced position of the third sheet in relation to the first and second sheets providing means for accomplishing a selective interchange among a plurality of first sheets containing different floor covering samples without disturbing the third sheet.

4. A device in accordance with claim 3 in which the easel is provided with a first notch in a side edge thereof extending behind only the first sheet and a second notch in a side edge extending behind both the first and second sheets, said first notch providing means for removing the first sheet from behind the second, and said second notch providing means for removing the second sheet after the first sheet has been removed.

5. A device in accordance with claim 4 in which the first and second notches are positioned in opposite side edges of the easel so that the first and second sheets may be withdrawn from opposite sides thereof.

6. In a display device, a first sheet having the surface thereof provided with a sample of wall covering, a second sheet arranged in overlying relation covering the lower portion of the first sheet, the surface of said second sheet containing a sample of a floor covering, and a third sheet arranged in overlying relation to cover both the first and second sheets, said third sheet having a transparent upper portion exposing the first sheet to view therethrough, a transparent lower portion exposing the second sheet to View therethrough, and an opaque central portion arranged to cover the upper margin of the second sheet, said opaque central portion containing a pictorial repre sentation of a selected room in a home including certain furnishings customarily found therein whereby the wall and floor coverings represented by the samples can be visualized in relation to one another and in relation to the room and its furnishings, and means for positioning and supporting said sheets to permit selective interchanging of wall covering samples and floor covering samples, a supporting surface and an easel having an upper surface mounted in rearwardly inclined relation on said supporting surface, all of said sheets being positionable on said easel surface and supported thereby, said easel including means for spacing the third sheet in relation to the first and second sheets whereby the selective interchanging may be carried out without disturbing the third sheet, said spacing means including a guide member on the easels upper surface adjacent the bottom thereof and a groove in said member for receiving the third sheet.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 572,216 Patton Dec. 1, 1896 894,043 Oldroyd July 21, 1908 1,111,320 Pearson Sept. 22, 1914 1,155,523 Smith Oct. 5, 1915 1,184,800 Wastie May 30, 1916 1,269,024 Wastie June 11, 1918 1,929,335 Steadman Oct. 3, 1933 1,986,127 Timrns Jan. 1, 1935 2,011,843 Butler Aug. 20, 1935 2,166,372 Roeder July 18, 1939 2,291,257 Rider July 28, 1942 2,294,131 Raymond Aug. 25, 1942 2,494,072 Vetterli Jan. 10, 1950 FOREIGN PATENTS 212,149 Great Britain Mar. 6, 1924 

